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1st John chapter 4 this morning and then he'll pray for us.
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Beloved do not believe every spirit.
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But test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
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For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
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By this, you know the Spirit of God.
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Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and
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Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
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This is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and now is in the world already.
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Little children you are from God and have overcome them for he who is in you is
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greater than he who is in the world.
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Therefore they speak from the world and the world listens to them.
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Whoever knows God Listens to us.
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Whoever is not from God does not listen to us by this We know the spirit of truth and
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Beloved let us love one another for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and
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Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love in.
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This the love of God was made Manifest among us that God sent his only Son into the
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world so that we might live through him.
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Not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the
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propitiation for our sins.
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Beloved if God so loved us.
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We also ought to love one another.
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No one has ever seen God if we love one another.
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God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
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By this we know that we abide in him and he in us.
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Because he has given us his spirit and we have seen and testify that the father has sent his
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son to be the Savior of the.
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Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God God's abiding God abides in him
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So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
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God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.
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By this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment.
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Because as he is so also are we in this world?
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There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
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For fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
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We love because he first loved us.
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If anyone says I love God and hates his brother.
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For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
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And this commandment we have from him whoever loves God must also love his brother.
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our father we thank you for this tremendous text and We thank you that Jesus Christ was
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the propitiation for our sins.
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Jesus Christ absorbed the wrath of God.
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For us he was our substitute and in him we have redemption.
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We have the forgiveness of sins.
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We have wisdom from above lavished upon us.
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Lord we thank you for the tremendous blessings that we have in Christ Jesus and we pray that in light of these
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breath and light of these blessings that we would Love that we would love you that we would love
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We would love our sisters and that we would love our enemies.
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We pray Lord that love would be the hallmark of this church.
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Lord we pray that as we open up your word and continue to worship you through the sermon being preached and the word being
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We pray Lord that you would clear us of all distraction.
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Help us to focus on your word help us to line up under it and we pray that we would live it out to your Glory,
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thank you Lord in Jesus name.
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Well, let's turn in our Bible to Luke chapter 7.
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Mary indicated just before service that the copier ran out of toner and So she was
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only able to make 58 copies of notes.
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Normally she makes twice that number.
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There's fewer of us fewer of us here today, so Hopefully there's enough but if you
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happen to be You know have two sets of notes two of you sitting together you might look around and
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see if there's somebody who doesn't have a set and Pass one set to them.
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Well, this is a rather long passage before us.
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Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things this is John the
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Baptist, of course and John calling two of his disciples to him sent them to Jesus saying
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are you the coming one or do we look for another?
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When the man had come to him that being Jesus They said John the Baptist has sent us to you
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saying are you the coming one or do we look for another?
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That very hour he cured many infirmities afflictions and evil spirits and to
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many blind he gave sight.
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And Jesus answered said to them go and tell John the things you have seen and heard.
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That the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead
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The poor have the gospel preached to them and.
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And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
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That's an important statement here in this passage.
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When the messengers of John had departed he began to speak to the multitudes concerning John.
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What did you go out in the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind?
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But what did you go out to see a man clothed in soft garments indeed?
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Those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in Kings courts.
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What did you go out to see a prophet?
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Yes, I say to you and more than a prophet.
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This is he of whom it is written behold.
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I send my messenger before your face.
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Who will prepare your way before you?
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For I say to you among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
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But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
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And when all the people heard him even the tax collectors justified God having been baptized with the
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But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves Not having been baptized
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by him and the Lord said to what then shall I like in the men of this generation?
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Sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another saying we played the flute for you and you did not
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We mourn to you and you did not weep.
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For John the Baptist came neither eating and eating bread or drinking wine.
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The Son of Man has come eating and drinking.
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You say look a glutton and a winebibber a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
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But wisdom is justified by all her children.
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John the Baptist had been thrown into prison.
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Sometime before this account that we just read don't know how long.
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This was recorded for us back in the third chapter of this gospel.
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There we read but Herod the Tetrarch Being rebuked by him.
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That would be John the Baptist concerning Herodias.
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His brother Philip's wife and for all the evils, which Herod had done also added this
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above all that he shut John up in prison and Then we read
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that John sent two of his disciples to Jesus in order to ask Jesus.
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Are you the coming one or do we look for another?
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It would seem that John probably along with his disciples had doubts regarding the identity of
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Jesus as The true Messiah the promised King the Son of David.
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It would seem that for them there had not been sufficient evidence to confirm that Jesus was the one for whom
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they had waited long and Anticipated we do not know
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It had led to this doubting of Jesus's messianic credentials.
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They must have believed however that the nature of Jesus's life and ministry was not fulfilling their Jewish expectations.
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Regarding the coming kingdom John the Baptist had
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publicly said of the coming one I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier than I is coming whose sandal
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strap I am not worthy to loose.
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He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
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His winnowing hand is in his hand and his winnowing fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly Clean it
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clean out his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with
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So the Jewish people of the time were expecting the Messiah to lead his people in a great physical
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literal battle between the righteous and the wicked.
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After having conquered and subjugated his enemies the Messiah would then establish the promised kingdom of David
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With the people of Israel free from the yoke of Rome.
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And they would live then live in peace and security under the Messiah's reign.
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But now John found himself in prison and a Jewish uprising had not
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transpired and apparently John had begun to doubt that Jesus was the promised one through hearing
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of his teaching and ministry.
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The zealous Jews of the day and even John the Baptist was desired and soliciting confirmation From Jesus
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that he was indeed the promised one.
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The New Reformation study Bible gave this footnote regarding this incident.
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John is born witness to Jesus.
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So questions like these are unexpected.
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Some think his faith has failed in the harsh conditions of Herod's prison.
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Others think his patience has given out and he's suggesting that Jesus should actively bring in the kingdom.
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More probably he's looking for Jesus to bring immediate judgment.
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John stressed in his own ministry the judgment that Jesus would bring.
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Would someone else come to inflict righteous judgment against a sin that God had called John to announce?
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Interestingly some notable commentators in the past rejected the thought that John the Baptist would have had doubts
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as to the true identity of Jesus as the promised Messiah.
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How could John have had doubts when we read of his great Testimony to the baptismal sign of the Holy Spirit
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descending upon him in the form of a dove.
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How could John have doubted when in the face of much opposition he declared behold the Lamb of
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It takes away the sin of the world.
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Well, these commentators argued that because John was near death that he was concerned for the well -being of his own
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For his own John's departure.
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In other words, John wasn't concerned about himself.
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He was concerned about so he sent them to Jesus.
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These commentators argued that John was near death.
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And so he was sending his disciples to Jesus in order to confirm to his disciples that Jesus was indeed
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That they would follow him fully upon John's passing.
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This was the opinion of Augustine Chrysostom the great orator the early church and even John
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Calvin gave this explanation regarding this view that John the Baptist was wavering in his faith.
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Calvin denied this the opinion entertained by some that he John sent them
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partly on his own account is exceedingly foolish as.
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If he had been not been fully convinced or obtained distinct information that Jesus is a Christ
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it's very evident that the Holy Herald of Christ perceiving that he was not far from the end of his journey
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and That his disciples though he'd bestowed great pains and instructing them still remained in a state of hesitation.
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Resorted to this last expedient for curing their weakness.
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He had faithfully labored as I have said that his disciples should embrace Christ without delay.
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His continued entreaties had produced so little effect that he had good reason for dreading that after his death.
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They would entirely fall away and therefore he earnestly attempted to arouse them from their sloth
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by sending them to Christ.
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In other words John had sent his disciples to Jesus in order to confirm their faith.
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That Jesus was a true Messiah not for his own sake.
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For he didn't have any doubts at all and it would seem that JC Ryle was
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sympathetic to this position.
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This is his interpretation of John the Baptist motivation for sending his disciples to Jesus.
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We should mark in these verses the wise forethought which John exhibited about his disciples
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before he left the world.
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He sent some of them to Jesus with a message of inquiry.
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Are thou he that should come or do we look for another?
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He doubtless Calculated that they would receive such an answer as would make an indelible impression on
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their minds and he was right they got an answer in deeds as well as
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words an answer which probably produced a Deeper effect than any arguments which they could have heard from their
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In other words in John's lips.
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We can easily imagine that John the Baptist must have felt much anxiety about the future course of his disciples.
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He knew their ignorance and weakness in the faith.
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He knew how natural it was for them to regard the disciples of Jesus with feelings of jealousy and envy.
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He knew how likely it was that petty party spirit would creep among them and make them keep aloof from
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Christ when their own Master was dead and gone.
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Against this unhappy state of things he makes provision as far as possible while he is yet alive.
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He sends some of them to Jesus that they may see for themselves.
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What kind of teacher he is and not reject him unseen and unheard.
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He takes care to supply them with the strongest evidence that our Lord was indeed the Messiah.
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Like his divine master having loved his disciples.
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He John loved them to the end.
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And now pursues perceiving that he must leave them that John must leave them.
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He strives to leave them in the best of hands.
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He does his best to make them acquainted with Christ.
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So again the thought John the Baptist didn't have any doubts.
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He he knew the doubts of his disciples and so he sent them to Jesus.
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But we would argue the effort of these few commentators to spare John the Baptist from displaying doubts is
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If John were only concerned about strengthening the faith of his disciples and not of himself.
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Why did he just send two of his disciples and not more or all of them?
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He sent two disciples to inquire of Jesus on his own behalf.
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He couldn't go because he was in prison.
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But further why did the Lord upon the departure of these two witnesses of John immediately defend and Exalt the
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reputation of John before the crowds.
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If it were not Jesus's desire to defend and bolster his reputation.
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That may have been slighted before the crowds.
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No, the fact is that no Jewish person including John Would have viewed the ministry of
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Jesus as fulfilling the realization or the onset of the Messianic Kingdom that they had
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expected and anticipated.
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It is understandable that John had questions about what was transpiring.
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For events were not occurring as he and all other Jews believed would take place.
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And Matthew Henry was right when he wrote the faith of John Baptist himself or at least
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of his disciples Needed to be confirmed in this matter for Christ had not yet publicly
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declared himself indeed to be the Christ.
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He would not have his disciples who knew him to be the disciples knew Jesus was the Messiah to speak
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of it till the proof proof of his being were so completed in his resurrection.
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Great man of the Jewish Church.
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In other words, the priests and Pharisees had not owned him Jesus.
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Nor had he gained any interest that was likely to set him upon the throne of his father David.
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Nothing of that power and grandeur was to be seen about him in which it was Expected that the Messiah would
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appear and therefore it's not strange that they should ask art thou the Messiah.
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Not doubting but that if he was not he would direct them.
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What what other one to look for.
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I think William Hendrickson was even more clear on the matter.
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According to Luke 3 C John the Baptist had been taken into custody by King Herod Antipas.
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He'd been locked up in the gloomy fortress of Macias modern Kiribati Macower
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located about eight kilometers east of the Dead Sea 24 kilometers south of its northern tip.
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I Saw it from a distance when we were in Israel my son -in -law and I.
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The prison was part of the one of the Herodian palaces, which explains the possibility of the action recorded
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Though his imprisonment must have been a very grim ordeal.
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John was allowed to receive visitors including his own disciples and from these he had
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learned about the activities of Jesus the very one about whom the Baptist had said so many wonderful things
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So the imprisoned Herald may have been wondering if Jesus is that powerful why does he not do something about my
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But especially as John sought the gracious words that fell from the lips of the Savior and the miracles of mercy
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He performed did not harmonize With the manner in which he the Baptist had pictured him before the
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He had presented him as one who had come to punish and destroy.
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John's word had been true and inspired the very Word of God what Christ Herald missed.
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However, what John didn't understand?
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He failed to discern that this prophecy of doom would go into fulfillment.
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Not now, but at Christ's second coming He had not seen the present
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and the future in true perspective.
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That was true of all the Jews even that Jesus's disciples up toward the end.
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John made a very wise decision when instead of keeping his difficulty regarding Jesus to himself or
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taking it over with others But not with the right person.
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Owing to the fact that the Baptist was himself in prison so that he was unable to go and see Jesus in person.
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He sent word by two of his disciples.
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This does not mean however that the interpretation and here he slaps against that other interpretation.
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This does not mean however that the interpretation according to which it was not John himself Who doubted but only his
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disciples who did and that John now sends these men to Jesus so that the Savior may solve their problem?
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It is definitely incorrect.
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In other words Hendricks is saying yes, John the Baptist had his doubts.
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Why otherwise would Jesus have said go and report to John?
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There's no question about it.
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It was John himself who had a problem.
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It was he who wondered whether or not Jesus was the coming one.
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But I would also assert that if you take the position of those who remove any and all doubt on the part of John the Baptist
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on this occasion the result is really to strip the passage of some of its pastoral relevance and helpfulness.
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If John the Baptist doubted.
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Don't feel bad if sometimes you have doubts yourself frankly.
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Many true disciples of Jesus Christ who have had wonderful Christian experience had gained much Christian
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knowledge in the past due to severe trials in life have been pushed into the realm of doubting their faith.
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Perhaps even questioning the truthfulness of the claims of the Holy Bible
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pastor Jason I had Talked to a man just a few weeks ago, and this was
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his very condition surprised us alarmed us.
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Some may not only doubt their faith, but maybe come to doubt the foundational truth.
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Which had formerly they had formerly held and perhaps even had taught.
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In other words, it would seem that John the Baptist was experiencing a crisis of doubt and Difficulty that
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many others have similarly experienced.
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You can read how John Bunyan in the Pilgrims Progress had Christian experiencing some of these same
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doubts at different points in his Christian life.
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To take away to his experience John's experience removes the encouragement that Christ may provide for that
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Even as he gave comfort and reassurance to John and his disciples the passage Should
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reinforce to the troubled Christian soul if John the Baptist Struggled under his trials and he was
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certainly a godly man even the best of men.
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And maybe there's hope for me also in my doubts and struggles to continue to believe on Jesus.
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Now as we look over our passage we can divide its contents into four sections.
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We have the response of Jesus to John.
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Secondly, we have the response of Jesus about John.
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After the disciples returned to John.
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Third We have the response of the people to both Jesus and John and then fourthly the response of
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Jesus regarding his rejecters.
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First the response of Jesus to John.
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Verses 18 through 23 we'll read them again, then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all
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these things and John calling two of his disciples to him sent them to Jesus saying are you the
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coming one or do we look for another?
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And when the man had come to him, they said John the Baptist has sent us to you Saying are you the coming one or do we look for
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And that very hour he cured many infirmity of infirmities afflictions and evil spirits and many and to
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many blind He gave sight.
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Jesus answered and said to them go Tell John the things you've seen and heard.
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The blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised and the
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poor have the gospel preached to them and Blessed is he who is not offended because of
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Now John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus.
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Their mothers were cousins but the two boys growing up probably had little if any contact with
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John was raised in the Wilderness to Judea south of Jerusalem.
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Jesus, of course grew up in Galilee 75 to 100 miles north of Jerusalem Nazareth.
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Had been given a special mission in life he was to prepare the people for the coming of the promised Messiah the King who
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would usher in the golden age of Israel as Promised to Zacharias the
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father of John the Baptist even before John's birth.
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And of course John did just that.
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Before the Lord Jesus came upon the scene John had stirred the population of the entire region.
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After some months of John's preaching Jesus came to John and was also baptized by him and
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With that event the Lord's ministry began.
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Now John was a man of his times.
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He had a Jewish conception of the character and mission of the Messiah, which he would bring to pass.
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This was reflected in John's preaching.
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Judgment was coming and therefore repentance from sin was imperative.
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The enemies of God would be overturned.
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The people of God would experience deliverance from their oppressors would soon Enjoy the blessings of the kingdom age.
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It was commonly taught that then the people would be healed oppression would cease injustice would no longer exist.
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Political prisoners would be set free.
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But what happened after those subsequent months?
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John the forerunner of Jesus was himself put into prison locked away by by King Herod
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Furthermore deliverance from prison had not occurred things were not unfolding as John had expected.
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Prisoners were not being released.
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Cruel oppressors administering injustice were not removed from authority.
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Evil forces seemed to be prevailing.
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Jesus was not living up to expectations and so John began to have some serious concerns some
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very real doubts as To the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and so we
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read John calling two of his disciples.
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Sent them to Jesus saying are you the coming one or do we look for another.
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And When the men came to Jesus, they said John the Baptist has sent us
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to you saying are you the coming one?
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Or do we look for another?
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Then in response Jesus the Lord Jesus drew attention to the works.
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Giving the messengers a message to take to John.
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Go tell John the things you've seen and heard.
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The blind see the lame walk.
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Lepers are cleansed of death here.
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The dead are raised poor of the gospel preached to them.
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So essentially Jesus was affirming and reassuring John yes, I am the one and furthermore
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the works that I'm doing are consistent with my mission and
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John no doubt hearing their words would have recognized his works as the fulfillment of the words of the
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When they described the coming Messiah's mission, for example, we can read in Isaiah.
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That day in the day of the Messiah's kingdom the deaf shall hear the words of the book.
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The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
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Later and then the eyes of the blind shall be open the ears of the deaf shall Shall be
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Then of course Our Lord quoted Isaiah 61.
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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.
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So the concluding words of Jesus to be given to John are most important again.
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And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
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But last describes the person who is in a blessed state before God.
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That is one who has salvation.
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One who has a saving relationship with God.
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Jesus was saying in a very straightforward manner that salvation is centered in one's opinion and attitude toward
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This basis people will stand or fall on Judgment Day.
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What do you think of Jesus?
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When he said blessed is he who is not offended because of me he was speaking about the condition of those who believe in
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him and Persevere believing in him.
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And furthermore. Jesus was speaking about the possibility or the danger of people ceasing to believe on him.
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Primarily because of things done by him or things left undone by him Resulting in them becoming
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offended or stumbling or losing confidence in Jesus
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And so here is a word from our Lord Jesus that's very appropriate for believers of any age for you and me as well and
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no telling what we're going to be facing in the future in this old world.
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Blessed is he who is not offended because of me.
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Salvation is promised to believers people who persevere in their believing.
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Who continue to believe in him?
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Salvation is not promised for those who believe only for a time and then cease to believe.
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That is a description of an apostate.
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There is no salvation for an apostate one who rejects Jesus totally.
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There is no salvation promised for the temporary believer.
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The state of blessedness or salvation belongs to the one who does not stumble over him But
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continues to believe on him.
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Now a word of clarification is important here to be offended or to stumble.
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Regarding Jesus is not having doubts about yourself or even doubts about him.
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But he had not stumbled or had been offended at Jesus.
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Being offended here speaks of a rejection of Jesus a refusal to believe in him or.
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One ceasing to believe in him.
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Can some stumble over Jesus.
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There are those who refuse to embrace him because he does not conform to their expectations
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Just like many Jews in that day.
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And there are those who believe for a while and then because of hardship.
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Or they learn something about the Lord Jesus.
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This is the one whom Jesus depicted as having the seed the word of the kingdom sown in stony soil.
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It appears there's enthusiasm and and true faith.
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But when the Sun gets hot and difficulty arise they forsake Christ.
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We can draw several spiritual applications from our Lord's word for ourselves.
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We must recognize the possibility that we ourselves could stumble respecting our faith in Jesus Christ.
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There are warnings of Scripture to believers in Jesus to persevere their faith and we are to seek
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grace Divine empowerment from God that we may do so
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faith is not presumption.
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Faith is a continuing adherence and cleaving cleaving to Christ.
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We generally place all too much confidence in ourselves and the strength of our faith.
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We're like Peter Jesus they may all forsake you but I'm not going to.
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There are things that can come into your life that shake the foundations of your faith and So we're to guard
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Watch is a word repeatedly used in Scripture, which is to characterize the believers.
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We should have a lot of confidence in in Jesus very little confidence in ourselves.
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Frankly problems persecution destitution
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Prosperity the fear of man the hardening effects of sin all these and more can bring a
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once flourishing professor of faith to abandon God's people and reject God's Word
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and even deny the Lord Jesus.
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And over 49 years of ministry I could name People by name one
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after another that followed this course.
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And not only could this happen to any of us.
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But it would happen to each of us if it were not for the ongoing disbursement of God's grace to keep
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If it were not for Jesus praying for us as our high priest you would fall flat.
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There are times when Situations in our life may discredit or dismiss in our minds the work that God had been doing in and
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This may be because of what he brings into our lives.
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Because of what he doesn't remove from our lives.
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If I'm a Christian, why is he put me through this?
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There's no relief or because of the demands which his words place upon our lives is too
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And then secondly, we must recognize the fact that others about us could stumble or become offended.
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Professing Christians can stumble over Jesus and so we're to watch out for one another and
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Warn encourage exhort and correct each other so as to prevent this from occurring.
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What a lot of people think is faith is actually presumption and certainly non
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-christians can stumble over Jesus.
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This may be due to the wickedness of many who claim to believe on Jesus.
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This may be due the weakness of many who claim to follow Jesus.
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If that's what a Christian is.
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I don't want any part of it.
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They scrutinize our behavior and our attitudes.
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They are skeptical and sadly sometimes our behavior only confirms in their minds their skepticism.
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May the Lord forbid that any of us be a reason for somebody else to reject Christ
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ministers used to have be held in high regard by people no longer and
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One can understand why when you consider the scandals of the last generation.
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Now John had not stumbled.
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We should understand that John had not stumbled or become offended over Jesus.
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He had questions and he was puzzled, but he had not rejected Jesus.
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But perhaps the questions posed by John's disciples would diminish John and his ministry in the eyes of those present.
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Who witnesses verbal exchange between Jesus and John's two disciples and so the Lord addressed the crowd.
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After the messengers of John left and returned to John.
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And so secondly we read of the response of Jesus about John
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It is significantly relevant for us that the Lord in no way criticizes or condemned the confusion and doubt
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No criticism of John by Jesus.
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Feel free and be encouraged to bring your doubts and questions to the Lord.
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Moreover, he does not turn away a sincere seeker one who truly desires to know and understand him.
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You may not receive all the answers at once or ever on this side of glory.
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But do not feel that you're wrong to bring your deepest concerns.
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Even if they have to do with his own person or his work in your life.
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I'm of the persuasion that he wants to take his people through periods.
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Where they've got nothing depend upon but his word.
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Nothing in my life seems to support or prop up my faith in Jesus, but
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I'm gonna believe in him anyway.
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Regardless, that's how Job was.
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And that is that is a glorious faith when you believe on Jesus as he told Thomas.
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Yeah, you're blessed because you've seen my nail prints in my hands.
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Blessed is the one who hasn't seen and believes.
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Not because it not because there's evidence to suggest it.
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But because you believe him for who he is and what the scriptures say about him.
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And so the response of Jesus about John he spoke so highly of John.
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John was a man who spoke boldly to others the Word of God.
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Beginning with verse 24 we read of our Lord commending John when the message of John had departed
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Jesus began to speak to the multitudes concerning John.
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What did you go out in the wilderness to see a Reed shaken by the wind.
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Well, what did you go out to see a man clothed in soft raiment, that's not what drew people to him.
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Indeed those who are gorgeously apparel live in luxury or in Kings courts.
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What did you go out to see?
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And so Jesus commended John for qualities really that should characterize our lives.
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People knew they would hear the truth from John that he would not bend or conform to the opinions and thoughts of
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It is as though Jesus said what did you go out to see a prophet?
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Yes, and you're not disappointed for you heard from God.
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That's why they went out.
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But further John was owed no ordinary man.
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For John was the promised messenger of the Messiah to come.
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Jesus said what did you go out to see a prophet?
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Yes, I say to you and more than a prophet John the Baptist more than a prophet.
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This is he of whom it is written.
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Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you.
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For I say to you among those born of women.
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There's not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
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But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
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Incredible statement perhaps the one Old Testament prophecy which was looked upon
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by the Jews of that day as.
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The signal for the appearance of the Messiah was the promise of Malachi 3 1.
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Which states that a messenger?
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Commonly understood as Elijah the prophet would appear and herald the Messiah's arrival.
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So here are the first three verses of Malachi 3.
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The old I send my messenger.
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He will prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
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Even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight.
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Behold he's coming says the Lord of Hosts.
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Who can endure the day of his coming?
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Who can stand when he appears?
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For he is like a refiners fire and like launderers soap.
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He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
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He'll purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord and offering
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We address this chapter last year in March.
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And when we did we drew your attention to the fact that there are two messengers mentioned in this passage.
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The first is the forerunner to the second the first messenger.
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Prepares the way for the second messenger the first messenger.
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And you might notice at least if you have a New King James version the lowercase m messenger.
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He's the preparer for the second messenger.
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The second messenger has a capital M.
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That's referring to Jesus Christ.
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The prophecy of the coming first messenger is that of John the Baptist.
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He was born six months before Jesus.
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John prepared the way for Jesus even when he was in the womb if you'll recall
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John was later called and commissioned to his baptizing ministry perhaps six months before Jesus was baptized.
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Which signaled the onset of his messianic Jesus's messianic ministry.
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John must have been keenly aware of this prophecy and his role as the first messenger.
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But to him it did not seem that Jesus was fulfilling his role as the principal messenger to which
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You can understand the difficulty that John might have had.
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But then Jesus declared John was the greatest man born of woman.
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When Jesus gave this great word regarding John verse 28 a for I say to you among those born of women There is not a
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greater prophet than John the Baptist.
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So the Lord exalted John before the eyes of the people.
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The prophets of Israel were among the greatest men in the history of Israel and among those prophets John being one of
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them John ranked the greatest the highest.
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But then Jesus concluded the matter with a word which was The foremost concern the nature of the kingdom which John had
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heralded and the great privilege that would belong to those who enter it verse 28 be
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he who is least in the kingdom of God is rate greater than John.
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Now, it's at this juncture that we must point out a textual variant That exists in the Greek
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manuscript tradition of verse 28.
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Different textual reading can be seen clearly when reading the text in either the New King James Version Compare and that
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compared with the English Standard Version the ESV and so I set them down in your notes.
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First the New King James Version I say to you among those born of women There's not a greater prophet than John
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But he was least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
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And then the ESV reads differently.
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I say unto you among them that are born of women.
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There is none greater than John Not just greatest prophet, but the greatest of men
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the greatest human being that ever lived.
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Yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
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Now in the parallel account recorded in Matthew's gospel It clearly states that John the Baptist is the greatest man that
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had ever lived Not just the greatest prophet who had ever served in Israel.
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Matthew 11 1 reads Assuredly say to you Among 1111
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by the way assuredly say to you among those born of women There's not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but
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he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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How do you explain this textual variant down in the manuscript Copying tradition it
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would seem that a later scribe copying Luke's gospel had added the word prophet To his manuscript.
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Perhaps the scribe did so because for John said to be the greatest man born of woman.
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That would technically make him greater than Jesus himself.
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And so the scribe wanted to narrow it down a little bit.
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He was the greatest prophet Not just the greatest man ever born.
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And so the scribe may have been attempting to retain Jesus's superiority over John.
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Which he thought was threatened if he had left the reading unchanged.
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So we can probably say not excused in any way.
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But we can see why a scribe might be compelled to amend his text
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That attempts to explain the reason that a scribe might have made the change in copying his manuscript.
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Bruce Metzger wrote this it's very difficult to decide whether and he gives the Greek word for profit prophet ease
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Was inserted by a pedantic Copyist who wished thereby to exclude Christ from
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Or whether it was omitted by assimilation of the Matthew in parallel.
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In other words scholars weren't sure.
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Did Luke originally write greatest prophet and a scribe wanted to
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Make it read the same as Matthew and took away the word prophet or was he concerned about?
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John being exalted even above Jesus and therefore he put in the word prophet and.
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And scholars themselves were not all that convinced one way or another.
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But they tended to favor the shorter text.
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In other words Jesus was clearly saying that John was the greatest man born of woman
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obviously excluding himself.
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But then we read this astounding statement at the end of verse 28 for I say to you among those born of women There's
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not a greater Than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
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he now interestingly because
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some commentators were working off the text that.
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That said that whereas John was the greatest prophet who had ever lived.
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They concluded that he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater must refer not to everybody in the kingdom.
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But just to gospel preachers.
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The least gospel preacher is greater than John was.
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Calvin was mistaken in this interpretation and I love Calvin and his commentaries,
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but he was wrong here all right, because he took the text to saying that John was the greatest prophet and
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Therefore he concluded what Jesus was saying the least Preacher of the kingdom of God is greater
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Than was John the Baptist who was simply a herald of what was coming.
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Whereas preachers of the gospel are heralders of what has already come and therefore they're greater.
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But again as we have argued Jesus was actually declaring the least citizen in
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the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist was.
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This describes the privilege that you and I have as Christians.
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I Might just interject here.
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That doesn't mean that you and I are greater than John.
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Because upon Christ death resurrection ascension into heaven all the Old Testament Saints are also in the
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We're all in this great status.
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But as John the Baptist was before the onset of the promised kingdom of the Messiah the
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least citizen of the kingdom of God the simplest Christian didn't do as Christian.
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That's what great privilege that you and I enjoy as Christians.
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Norval yelled and I was a commentator of Luke.
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He expressed the matter well.
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But although he John his last envoy of the Old Covenant Old Testament is nearest to Christ and thus the most
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important of all He takes a lower place than even the most insignificant member of the New Covenant.
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He belonged to the period of preparation and did not yet learn to know Jesus as the crucified one as the risen
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Redeemer as the one who through his spirit makes his habitation in the believers heart and life.
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John didn't know those things.
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He will indeed in common with all other saints of the time before Christ's sacrificial death share fully in the
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redemption and blessing achieved by him.
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And they're enjoying that now, of course.
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But as regards his place in the unfolding of the divine revelation, which culminated in Christ He
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still belongs to the preparatory stage and is therefore in this respect less than the most
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insignificant Insignificant believer in the new dispensation.
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The period which began with the drawing near the beneficent demanding of God in the coming and redeeming work of
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By declaring in these words the relation men bear to him as the absolute touchstone of true
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The Savior at the same time declares that he himself is the greatest of all the messenger of the covenant of
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Malachi 3 1 and Therefore God himself
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and so consider what what Jesus said here it's more important and is to be regarded as a
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greater privilege to be a citizen of the kingdom of God to be a Christian and
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Even to be the greatest of the prophets of the Old Covenant.
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By our Lord stating this reality.
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He conferred upon his people Christians great honor and dignity.
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Did he not if you're a Christian? you're greater than even
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John the Baptist was because of the privilege and Blessing that you have in Christ.
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Your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ are greater than even John the Baptist was.
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For we are privileged citizens of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.
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That's an incredible Statement
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and therefore we ought to not only have regard for one another as in Christ, but treat one another
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as noble creations as Christians.
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Thirdly we read of the response of the people to Jesus and John.
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When all the people heard him Jesus even tax collectors justified God having been baptized with the
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baptism of John but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves not.
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Having been baptized by him God commanded all to be baptized by John.
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They refused to be baptized.
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And so there are two responses given to Jesus.
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First we read of the favorable response of the people in the tax collectors.
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With these words of Jesus the people in the tax gatherers that is the sinners Reaffirmed that God had been
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right in sending John to lead the people who repented their sins.
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So that they might have entrance into the kingdom of God that was coming.
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But secondly, we read of the negative response of the Pharisees and scribes.
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It was God's desire that all should be baptized, but these had refused to do so.
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And so it is any who reject the gospel of Christ and the claims of the Lord.
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Jesus are bringing just condemnation Upon themselves for they rejected God's purposes.
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And then lastly we have the response of Jesus regarding his rejecters.
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The Lord said to what then shall I like in the men of this generation?
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What are they like they're like children sitting in the marketplace calling to one another say we played the flute
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For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine.
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You say he's got a demon.
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Son of man has come eating and drinking.
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You say look a glutton and a winebibber a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
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I Read a sermon this week by Charles Spurgeon on that phrase a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
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Glorious word of encouragement.
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And then Jesus concludes a wisdom is justified by all her children.
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And so what were the Christ rejecters of that day like they were as little children who expressed their folly and immaturity in
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You won't play by our rules.
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You won't dance to our tune.
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Because Jesus would not jump through their hoops play along with them trying to appease them.
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They would reject him and oppose him.
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Jesus said it was essentially a no -win situation.
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They accused him of demonic asceticism.
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They accused him of gluttony and drunkenness.
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There was nothing that could be done to satisfy this crowd.
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John and Jesus would be criticized for either things that either things they didn't do or things they did do.
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John was too somber negative critical they pipe, but he would not dance to their tune.
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He was too sad for their liking.
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On the other hand Jesus was criticized for not mourning with them when they played their funeral dirge.
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He was too glad for their liking.
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They thought to discredit Jesus by calling him a friend of tax gatherers and sinners.
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But this must have been further encouragement to his followers who were just that
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His rejecters were intolerant unyielding.
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They would not be appeased.
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And recognize there are some in spite of all your efforts today.
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Even as you try and exhibit with sincerity and genuine concern for their souls.
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They'll not receive you and they'll seek to dismiss you or discredit you in order to justify themselves.
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They did it to Jesus if they did it to him.
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They're gonna do it to you and me, but the Lord Jesus concluded and
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Nevertheless wisdom is vindicated by all your children.
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In other words God's ways are going to be vindicated.
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Proved to be true and valid in the results that are seen Amen.
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Thank you father for your words.
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Thank you God for the lessons of encouragement to us as we consider the
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struggles that John the Baptist had as great a man as he was and We thank you our God for
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the glorious Mercy and grace that you have showered upon us that we are called
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your children through faith in Jesus Christ.
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We pray our God that you would help us to see and to always be aware of this
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noble Position that you have conferred upon us by your gift of
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grace through Jesus Christ.
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Help us to have high regard for one another as Christians.
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Lord help us we who are struggling with doubts and puzzlement to be
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strengthened in our faith.
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I want to pray for that one soul our God that pastor Jason and I spoke with
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Recently who expressed rather openly His doubts.
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I pray for his soul that you would be merciful and rekindle faith and joy in
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That soul help each of us.
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We pray they go forth from this place full of peace and joy that are
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And father we pray for Anyone who's here who is outside of
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Christ that they would go forth from this place very concerned about their souls that they
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would have no rest until they Completely surrender and put their rest put their faith
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in Jesus Christ and whose name we do pray. Amen.